Civil Rights Memorial to be unveiled today in Richmond

RICHMOND

Virginia’s Civil Rights Memorial will be unveiled at a dedication ceremony in the state Capitol at 10:30 today.

The four-sided bronze and granite monument – it is situated on the Capitol grounds just west of the Governor’s Mansion – pays tribute to several Virginians whose efforts helped bring about the end of school segregation in this state and across the nation.

One of the people depicted on the memorial is Barbara Johns, who as a 16-year old in April 1951 led a student strike to protest the physical condition of the Farmville school she attended.

Also featured on the memorial are civil rights attorneys Oliver W. Hill Sr. and Spottswood Robinson III. Those men represented the striking students all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Their lawsuit was later combined with four other cases into the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas case. The Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in that matter ultimately resulted in the end of school segregation.

Planning for the Civil Rights Memorial has been ongoing for more than three years. The $2.45 million project was financed with donations, including a contribution from The Virginian-Pilot.

For more information, visit www.vacivilrightsmemorial.org/dedication